Sealing or fixing of casing tubes in bore holes, wells, or the like



Nov. 22, 1927.

A. R. NEELANDS SEALING 0R FIXING OF CASING TUBES IN BORE HOLES,

WELLS, OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. a. 1926 Patented Nov. 22," 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABM RUPERT NEELANDS, OF DONCAS'I'EB, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB TO THE FRANCOIS CEMENTATION COMPANY, LIMITED, OF LONDON. ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY.

SEALING OE nxmq OI CASING TUBES IN BORE HOLES, WELLS, OR THE LIKE.

Application filed February 8, 182 8, Serial No. 86,707, and in Great Britain June 5, 1825.

This invention relates to the sealing or fixing of easing tubes in bore holes, wells or the like.

Attempts have previously been made to seal the metal linings or casing tubes of bore holes or wells in such a manner as to render the same watertight and sufliciently strong to withstand high pressures, but all such pre viously proposed methods possess the fol owto ing practical defects:-

(1) In broken or fissured ground the easing tube cannot be rendered waterti ht without a very high consum tion 0 cement grout, while the stren h 0 ,the seal 18 never in sufficient to withstan the pressure to which the casing tube is often submitted.

(2) A considerable time elapses before the cement grout used in the sealing operation is sufficiently hard and set to be effective.

According to the present invention these and other defects are obviated by the use of metallic packing which is inserted in any required quantity, according to the particular case that isbeing dealt with, between the casing tube itself and the ground or bore hole within which the casing tubeis to be sealed. The casin tube maybe of cylindrical form and provi ed externally at its lower end with a base ring of suitable dimensions which is screwed or otherwise fastened to the casing tube. The metallic packing may be constituted by metal rings composed of lead or other suitable material, which are of larger diameter than the casing tube so that they 85 can slide freely thereon. The said rings are adapted to be successively dropped into position around the casing tube and thereafter by an energetic ramming operation, b compression, or otherwise, they are expan ed laterally or deformed so as to till the s ace between the easing tube and the wal of the bore hole within which the casing tube is located. Packing material composed of a soft material such as lead wool, hemp,etc., may be located around the casing tube and rammed in lace in a similar manner to the metallic pac ring rings, said soft material be ing located between each successive metallic rin When the casing is tightly sealed wit in the bore hole, cement grout is introduced freely into the casing tube and, on pressure being applied thereto, the cement grout is forced to peroolate or filter under pressure from the casing through the expanded packing rings, as also through the soft packing material inserted between the rings in cases where such soft packing is provided. As soon as the cement grout is set the sealing of the casing tube is complete and, on account of the aforesaid! metallic packing rings, the soft packing insertions located between the same, and the fact that the rings have been expanded into position under pressure through the expanded packgrout has been caused to filter or ercolate under pressure through the expan ed packing rings and the soft packing insertions which offer considerable resistance to such percolation or filtration, the cement grout sets quickly and a perfectly watertight seal, strong enough to withstand any pressure, is obtained.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section showing a casing tube in position within a bore hole' or well, the bore hole or well having previously been prepared to receive the casin tube and the tube being fitted externally 0 its lower end with a base ring.

Figure 2 is a vertical section showing the first metallic packing ring located around the casing tube prior to the lateral expansion of the said ring.

Figure 3 is a vertical section corresponding to Figure 2 and showing the packing ring after 1t has been expanded laterally.

Figure 4 is a vertical section on a lar er scale, showing one type of metallic packing ring, combined with packing material prior to and after the expansion of the packing rinFgs.

igure 5 is a vertical section showing a number of expanded packing rings in position and alternatin with packing material insertions, the sealaaeing now ready to receive the grouting.

Figure 6 is a vertical section showing the completed seal after the injection of cement grout through the packing and round the casing tube.

Figure 7 is a vertical and a horizontal section respectively of a suitable type of metallic packing ring.

a denotes the round of any nature in which the bore ho e or well is drilled, and b denotes the bore hole or well. 0 is the easing tube which .is of a suitable external di ameter to permit the casing to be inserted freel into the bore hole or well 5. d is the met '0 'base ring of suitable dimensions, which-is screwed onto and fastened to the inner end of the casing tube 0.

After thecasing tube 0, fitted with the base ring (I, has been placed inthe bore hole or we as in Figure 1,, the first expanding packing rin e is laced around the casing tube '0 and opped intolthe bore hole (Figure 2) where it is retained in tube a by the base rin d. This expandin packingring e is as a oresaid made of lea or other suitable material, and ma be shaped, as shewn on a larger scale at Figure' 7 in order that, when submitted to energetic rammi'n it may expand laterally. The first pac 'ng ejs 1; en caused to expand by means of an ener' tic ramming o eration carried out by the, iving up and own of a suitable tool, such for example as a steel tube f (Figure 4) of an internal diameter suflicient to enable it to be located around the casing tube a. After the first packing ring e has been rammed in place andexanded as shown in Figure 3, the soit maleable pac g, is inserted around the tube 0 and ramme in place in the same way as the expanded packing ring e. A second expanding packing ring e is then inserted around thecasing tube c'and rammed and expanded in' the same way as the first ring; Thesecondpacking ring is followed by an insertion of soft acking material g as previously descri and the sealing is conlace on the tinued and completedby the necessary numher of alternating rings and insertions, until a suflicient ip-is forthe pressure which is to withstood in each particular case. As soon as .theeasing tube a has been in the bore hole or well, as above described,fa'suitable quantity of liquid cement, cemen't mortar orfgrout 'of an suitable kind is poured or located within the casing tube and on pressure bein applied there to the cement-gronti'sforc from the easing tube and caused to filter: or percolate under pressure through the'system of expanded packing rings andi seft paeking material un-' infiethe same to percolate from the casing tu through the expanded metallic packing rings. a

2. A method of sealin a metallic casin tube in position within a 7 re hole as claimed in claim 1 in ,which insertions ef softpacking material are introduced alternately with each metallic expandedpfickin rin I A. NIEE NDS.

ing tube which is of a suitable external diameter to permit the casing to be inserted freel into the bore hole or well 6. d is the meta ic base ring of suitable dimensions, which is screwed onto and fastened to the inner end of the casing tube 0.

After the casing tube 0, fitted with the base rin d, has been placed in the bore hole or we as in Figure 1, the first expanding packing rin e is laced around the casing tube 0 and ropperfinto the bore hole (Figure 2) where it is retained in lace on the tube 0 by the base ring 11. Th1s expandin packing ring e is as a oresaid made of lea or other suitable material, and ma be shaped, as shewn on a larger scale atFigure 7, in order that, when submitted to energetic rammin it may expand laterally. The first pac ing ring e is then caused to expand by means of an ener etic ramming o eration carried out by the riving up and own of a suitable tool, such for example as a steel tube f (Figure 4) of an internal diameter sufiicient to enable it to be located around the casing tube a. After the first packing ring e has been rammed in place and expanded as shown in Figure 3, the soft malleable packin g, is inserted around the tube 0 and ramme in place in the same way as the expanded packing ring e. A second expanding packing ring e is then inserted around the casing tube a and rammed and expanded in the same way as the first ring. The second packing ring is followed by an insertion of soft packing material g as previously described, and the scaling is continned and completed by the necessary number of alternating rings and packing insertions, until a suflicient ip is realized for the pressure which is to e withstood in each particular case. As soon as the casing tube 0 has been fixed in the bore hole or well, as above described, a suitable quantity of liquid cement, cement mortar or grout of an suitable kind is cured or located within t e casing tube an on pressure bein applied thereto the cement grout is force from the easing tube and caused to filter or 'percolate under pressure through the system of expanded packing rings and soft packing material until a sufficient quantity of grout has been ini'ected to result, when the out is set and iard in a erfe'ctly watertight seal.

What I c aim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A method of sealing a metallic casin tube in position within a bore hole whic consists 1n locating the casing tube in position,thereafter positioning metallic packing rings around the casing tube between the casing tube and the ground, expanding the same laterally and thereafter introducing a setting material into the casing tube and causingethe same to percolate from the casing to through the expanded metallic packing rings.

2. A method of sealin a metallic casin tube in position within a ore hole as claimed in claim 1 in which insertions of soft packing material are introduced alternately with each metallic expanded packin ring.

A. R. N JELANDS.

Certificate of Correction.

Patent No. 1,649,846.

Granted November 22, 1927, to

ABRAM RUPERT NEELANDS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the. slum;- numbered patent rer uiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 64, strike out t e words and syllable through the expanded packand insert instead as also the fact that cement; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correc; tion therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Paten Signed and sealed this 17th day of January, A. D. 1928.

[sEAn] M. J. MOORE, Acting Commissioner of Patents.

Certificate of Correction. atent No. 1,649,846. Granted November 22, 1927, to ABRAM RUPERT NEELANDS.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the abovenumbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 64. strike out the words andsyllable through the expanded pack and insert instead as also h foot that qmnent; and that the said Letters- Patent should be read with this correc- 83;} therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Signed and sealed this 17th day of January, A. D. 1928.

[SEAL] M. J. MOORE,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

